Need help identifying an old hammer

[IHC]

New member here - I hope I'm posting this in the right place.

I found this hammer in an elderly gentleman's scrap pile that he allowed me to pick through... I suppose I am a sucker for old tools. It was significantly rusted with a very warped and rotted handle. I finally got around to soaking it in evaporust this week and while it cleaned up nicely, there is not enough of the logo left for me to read any of the letters.

It appears to have a hairline crack across one side. I also don't know what it is for, it is a rather unusual hammer.

Any help identifying it would be greatly appreciated.

[ThomasPowers]

Looks to me to be a 5/8" punch made perhaps by ATHA.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

That was my thought also.

[George N. M.]

Welcome aboard from 7500' in SE Wyomi9ng.  Glad to have you.

To expand on what Thomas and Irondragon have said, it is a tool used for puching 5/8" diameter holes in hot steel.  You do not swing it like a hammer.  You place the round punch part on the hot steel and then hit the wide part with a hammer driving the business end into the hot steel.  When you are about 3/4 of the way through you flip the work piece over and puch from the other side.  When the holes meet a slug of hot metal drops out the bottom.  You usually do this over the hardy or pritchel holes in the anvil or a hole in a swage block.

BTW, it is a nice tool but 5/8" is a good size hole to punch.  I suspect that it was primarily used in an industrial application rather than a small balcksmith shop.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[IHC]

 

Thanks for the help! I figured you folks would know. I know little to nothing about the world of metalworking other than welding and body work (I'm a mechanic who specializes in classic vehicles), but I plan to put together a forge sometime this winter and start learning.

I'm going to put a handle on the punch and hang it on the garage wall or something.

Thanks again.

 

 

[JHCC]

Good choice. Frankly, you might do better selling it to a tool collector (there are people who love to collect Atha tools) and investing the cash in something you'll use on a more regular basis.

[George N. M.]

IHC, given your location your punch may have been used in the railroad shops on the NP High Line in Glasgow or Wplf Point.

You might check ebay for values of Atha tools.  I just did a quick check and there are lots of Atha hammer heads and hammers and a few blacksmithing tools.  One seller was calling a punch of smaller diameter than yours a "railroad hammer" and asking about $50 for it.  There were other blacksmith tools somewhat more expensive than that but only one or two over $100.   I think John's suggestion is a good one.  It advances you financially and may get the punch to someone who may be able to use it.  I am always an advocate for putting old tools to use.

I've had some experience with winters in your part of the world and I will say that you guys really know how to do winter.  Nothing between you and the North Pole but a 3 wire fence.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[ThomasPowers]

ATHA used a horseshoe for their TM with ATHA stamped in it.